NST April 2020: Fools we are not!

facethemusic

Hi, can I be a turtle again this month please?
To continue the F theme, i'm furloughed, so salary reduced but I have other "bits" to my income that I don't know if I will get all/some/none of, so I'm budgeting as if I get none and will see what happens. Spends should be low- no clubs or sports for DD, minimal fuel and no days out! My cupboards are well stocked, so will only need fresh food top ups for a while. 
Wednesday was NSD 1.
Gratitudes- a fully stocked kitchen, video calls to check in with my parents, daily phone calls with my best mate keeping my spirits up, DDs teachers providing lessons, back up and reassurance and just generally that DD and I are getting on pretty well being quarantined by ourselves! I
Will sort a plan for all the Fs tomorrow, for now I should be asleep. 

misstara

My plan for April
NSDs - I'm going to aim high and go for 20
Plan your meals - done, menu plan stuck to the front of the fridge.
Set your budgets - done and entered in YNAB.
Pay to your debts/savings first - also done.  Made a payment to the debt and put money into various saving pots.
No unnecessary and frivolous spending - I've actually been using the corner shop a lot more if I only need a couple of things, as it's more expensive I find I don't make any unplanned purchases so works out cheaper in the long run.  Plus at the moment it saves me from queuing to get into a supermarket.
Take your own lunch to work every day - Will do, I have no option of working from home so have to go in every day.
Start a spring clean - done, me and OH sorted out the cupboard of doom on Saturday.  So much tidier now, 2 bin bags of rubbish thrown out and 2 bin bags for the charity shop once it reopens.
Be generous – usual charity donation done.  Heard a thing on the radio yesterday about a local charity wanting donations to help people who are struggling due to the virus.  I usually support them at Christmas but will donate something this month.  Will pop some things into the food bank collection point each time I'm at the supermarket.
Check in everyday - no check in yesterday but will try to do a daily post.
Post your gratitudes - will do.
NSD yesterday so 1/20.  I imagine today will be as well but will hold off declaring it just in case.  Yesterday I went for a quick walk around the local university after work, nice to wander round with no students about.  I'm definitely exercising more since the lockdown came into force, being told I can only go out once a day to exercise is actually making me go out once a day if I can.  Plan for this morning is a run although it does look quite miserable out there.  My aim for April is to do 10,000 steps every single day, achieved yesterday.  Gratitudes for yesterday - a supportive manager and team at work, nice walk, yummy chicken and pepper risotto for tea, the scales showing a wee weight loss, watching a film with OH and finding a jigsaw I'd forgotten about in the cupboard of doom, that will keep me occupied for a while.

crazy_cat_lady

Good morning
Apologies for not checking in yesterday, or thanking mothernerd for running the March thread. It was my birthday on Tuesday and I spent most of yesterday sleeping of a pretty nasty hangover. I was gifted a bottle of wine for my birthday which I decided to celebrate - I don't drink often and hence I was a bit worse for wear yesterday.
I've spent a bit of time this morning setting up April's budget and am ready to go - started the month with a nsd yesterday. Cupboards and fridge are full for the time being. And I feel like getting back on my diet as well so I think today is a good day to start...
So today I'm grateful for:
Having enough to eat, being able to get out for a walk, discovering places that I didn't know existed near to me, my fantastic kids and still having a job.

abbi_aurelia

Morning all, yesterday was a NSD. Me and OH are both (minor) key workers so both still working full time (although I can work at home) and little one is still in nursery 4 days a week. We're currently looking into remortgaging early which could save us £200 a month so fingers crossed
Today I am grateful the bin being collected, being able to do my work from home, and that far less people are shouting at me (the BeKind message was lost on a lot of our customers) 

TheCheerleader

Bore Da Turtles!😎
Sorry I lost last nights post and was too tired to try again!
Fun: I convinced Dh to lay on the floor, with his arms outstretched and knees up for me to balance on ( we had seen it the night before on After life) I didn’t know how you were supposed to get on, but I don’t think I’ll try leaping on him like baby in dirty dancing again!
Ds2 came into the kitchen because of the commotion, raised a disapproving eyebrow got himself a glass of water and went out again 🤣
Frugal/ Food: I’m a prepper so have managed to avoid buying any food shopping, apart from milk since March 8th.
It’s just me, Dh, Ds2 and our walking stomach ( black lab) at home so we have been living off stores, me and Dh are veggie and I’ve been rationing/ rotating  Ds2 meat products, crisps/choc, as he would scoff the things he liked first and would be fed up. Dog is on a human diet and can’t eat red meat! 
Gratitudes:

Family chat group on what’s app keeping everyone’s morale up across England and Wales. Twerpy birds causing a commotion in the garden. 

A big garden that  needs loads doing.
Finding a half full tub of milk powder dated 2018 at the back of the pantry, perfectly fine made up and used in a cheese sauce.
Fate, we sold our house last July, but because of delays we are still here I dread to think how we would have coped with the lockdown as we were going to bunk in with dear Sis😳

Siebrie

Frugal fun: yesterday, I told dds (11 an 8) that their teachers had sent me an email that they were coming by to check on their homework. They had to stick their workbooks, opened, to the window, to show how far they had come, and the teachers would have a good look at it. To show that they had actually been working on it until yesterday, they had to add yesterday's date..... It took them 10 minutes of discussing and looking for sellotape, before the date-penny dropped

Toni'sfriend

NSD No 2 - Still nowhere to go and nothing needed.

I've been really lazy today. I'm getting a bit worried about this and think I might end up looking like Waynetta if I'm not careful.

Goulash in the slow cooker and the rest of the beef will be made into a curry tomorrow. Chopped up lots of vegetables and they are now in the freezer. Lots of vegetarian recipes needed to use them all up. A lovely neighbour who has a cafe which is obviously closed has given everyone a tray of 30 eggs. That's a lot of omelettes.

Today I'm grateful for:
Lots of eggs
The bin men collecting the bins (unsung heroes)
My slow cooker
Starting a new book
Facetime for letting me keep in touch with my son.

abundant1972

Pinch - punch - erm... second of the month! Happy April!   

Howdy all... I've arrived in April at last... and budget's and bills all paid. I didn't leave the house yesterday other than to put my rubbish out, and need to get back to my good habits. I have found a good workout I can do from home every other day, and will try and get out for a walk at least on the other days...

Today = NSD number 2 (aiming for 20 this month).

After the initial onset of the pandemic - I did stock up pretty well on tinned goods etc, and my freezer is full. I will do a batch cook today and start using up what I have in. 20 NSDs is ambitious but now it is more difficult getting to the shops, I will be put off impulse buying! 

Yesterday/Today I am grateful for:

1) A few days off to re-boot and collect my thoughts
2) A new game expansion release to keep me entertained - thank you to the developers/team
3) My sister for being kind and generous with her time and kindness

Alongside my fitness, I want to get into mindfulness again and reading 10 pages a day from a self-help/personal growth book, and journaling. I managed 59 days of this at the start of the year then it all went to pot and I've felt worse for it. So I will add them to my targets under self-care (aiming for 30 days!)...

Have a good rest of day folks... Stay safe and happy xxx

PurpleFairy26

NSD #1 here. Grateful for:
DH making big batch of soup
using up lotions and potions 
being able to keep in touch with family and friends 
warm bath
heating being off 

donated some money to a friend who is helping service a facility that is housing some of the local homeless during this crisis. They don’t have washing facilities so paid for some laundry for them as that is what is needed currently. A local SM is kindly providing food. Our local FB has closed temporarily so diverted funds to here seems sensible. 

Continuing to drink free coffee jar that has been in cupboard for about a year. Not our coffee of choice but given current situation we’re aiming to eat/consume/use things during lockdown on the basis if we don’t now, when will we. Lasagne sheets next 😂

dolly84

Went grocery shopping this morning.  Went to the greengrocer first, no queue, no nonsense.  Drove to Tesco and came straight back out of the car park when I saw about 50 people queuing outside, went to Sainsburys, there was a smaller queue there.  I will keep my thoughts on all of this to myself.  Anyway we have got most of what we need for another week.

Went for a long dog walk with DH and DS, it took longer than expected due to a slow dog, got chips on the way home, they were cooking to order and they were yummy.  Tea today is spicy butternut squash soup, I roasted the seeds from it in chilli powder and garlic and onion salts and they will go on the top.  Not planning on going anywhere else today so may put my pj's on soon.